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Dolf Wyllarde

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Dolf Wyllarde
Portrait of Dolf Wyllarde, circa 1902
Portrait of Dolf Wyllarde, circa 1902
BornDorothy Margarette Selby Lowndes
3 April 1871
Died10 May 1950(1950-05-10) (aged 79)
Pen nameDolf Wyllarde
Occupation
  • Author
  • Journalist
Alma materKing's College London
Period1897–1939
GenreFiction

Dorothy Margarette Selby Lowndes, writing as Dolf Wyllarde (3 April 1871 - 10 May 1950)[1] was a British journalist and a writer of verse and fiction.[2][3] From 1897 to 1939, she was known to publish in excess of 30 books, including novels, stories and children's literature. Numerous reviews of her work mistakenly referred to her as a male due to misunderstanding of her chosen name, with some believing it to be a pen name.

She was described by one newspaper as being "one of the pioneers in the latest phase of English fiction" and as "a new power in the fiction world, a power to be reckoned with". Little is known about her private life and she died a spinster in May 1950.

Career

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Born on 3 April 1871,[4] she was educated at King's College London.[2] She described herself as a London correspondent, sports editor, reporter and a paragraphist. In 1902, after suffering from overwork, she travelled to South Africa to recover her health.[5] Throughout her career, she published over 30 books between 1897 and 1939, encompassing story collections, children's books and numerous novels.[6][7]

Her 1902 novel The Story of Eden was highly praised by New York's The Brooklyn Daily Eagle as one of the most impressive novels recently produced by England.[5] Wyllarde later explained that the novel was inspired by her visit to South Africa in 1889, a trip she took after suffering a breakdown from excessive work. She began writing the novel while in Wynberg and continued during her journey back to England. Despite her illness, she credited her journalism background for her ability to write swiftly and persistently, regardless of her physical or mental state, emphasising that journalism was an invaluable training ground for writers.[8]

The Brooklyn Daily Eagle also later recognised her in July 1907 as a pioneer in the evolving landscape of English fiction.[9] Her novel Captain Amyas, described as "a strong, masterly piece of fiction",[10] marked her emergence as a force in the literary world. However, her 1908 novel Rose-White Youth, a love story about a 15-year-old girl, represented a departure from her typically realistic and straightforward style. The Brooklyn Daily Eagle suggested that her regular readers might have found it somewhat subdued, although acknowledged many would appreciate the style.[11]

In 1913, Wyllarde was elected a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society.[12] Her literary work also included poetry, with her poem Rondeaux d'Amour featured in volume 4 of The Yellow Book[13][14] and she also published two other collections of poetry.[2] Her 1916 novel Exile: an outpost of empire was the basis of a 1917 American film[15] and The Holiday Husband was filmed in 1920 featuring Adeline Hayden Coffin.[16]

Personal

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During the early 20th century, there was speculation as to whether her name was a pen name, which was a commonly held view according to The Brooklyn Daily Eagle in May 1902. Responding to the suggestion, Wyllarde conveyed her amusement "by the incredulity cast" on her name, assuring those who doubted it as being her actual name that her own friends could "testify as to its extreme suitability" and that she was not able to imagine being named anything other than Dolf.[5] She would also sometimes be incorrectly referred to as a male writer,[17] with critics believing she was a man and the press congratulating "Mr Wyllarde" on "his new and instant success".[10]

Little is known about her life, except that she lived at Old Mixon Manor near Weston-super-Mare.[3] She was boarding with several other people in Weymouth, Dorset at the time of the 1911 census.[18] She made several summer trips by ship to Marseilles over a period of several years in the 1930s, such as in July 1931 at the age of 60,[19] June 1932 at the age of 61,[20] and in July 1933.[21]

Wyllarde died a spinster on 10 May 1950, leaving effects worth just over £49443.[22]

References

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  1. ^ Dolf Wyllarde at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database
  2. ^ a b c Kemp, Sandra (1997). "Dolf Wyllarde". Edwardian fiction : an Oxford companion. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780198117605.
  3. ^ a b Bloom, C. (29 September 2008). "Dolf Wyllarde (Dorothy Margarette Selby Lowndes)". Bestsellers: Popular Fiction since 1900. Springer. p. 190. ISBN 978-0-230-58387-0. Archived from the original on 22 August 2024. Retrieved 5 January 2021.
  4. ^ "1939 England and Wales Register". Archived from the original on 22 August 2024. Retrieved 3 July 2022 – via Ancestry.
  5. ^ a b c "Dolf Wyllarde, the Author of "The Garden of Eden", Is Not a Pen-Name as Every One Believed". 15 May 1902. p. 12. Archived from the original on 22 August 2024. Retrieved 23 December 2021.
  6. ^ "[ Dolf Wyllarde [ Dorothy Margarette Selby Lowndes ], popular female novelist ] Autograph Letter Signed and two Typed Letters Signed (all three Dolf Wyllarde') requesting information to assist her in the writing of her books". www.richardfordmanuscripts.co.uk. Richard Ford. Archived from the original on 22 August 2024. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  7. ^ Wyllarde's books Archived 21 October 2023 at the Wayback Machine listed in the British Library catalogue
  8. ^ "Dolf Wyllarde writes 'The Story of Eden'". The Buffalo Commercial. 15 May 1902. p. 9. Archived from the original on 28 December 2021. Retrieved 28 December 2021.
  9. ^ "Don't Read This. The Novel Is Not Respectable". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. 15 July 1907. p. 22. Archived from the original on 23 December 2021. Retrieved 23 December 2021.
  10. ^ a b "A new Ouida has arisen". The San Francisco Examiner. 5 March 1905. p. 51. Archived from the original on 22 August 2024. Retrieved 23 December 2021.
  11. ^ ""Rose-White Youth" by Dolf Wyllarde". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. 14 December 1908. p. 8. Archived from the original on 22 August 2024. Retrieved 23 December 2021.
  12. ^ Bell, Morag; McEwan, Cheryl (November 1996). "The Admission of Women Fellows to the Royal Geographical Society, 1892-1914; the Controversy and the Outcome". The Geographical Journal. 162 (3): 295. doi:10.2307/3059652. JSTOR 3059652.
  13. ^ Wyllarde, Dolf (1895). "Rondeaux d'Amour". The Yellow Book. 4: 87–89. Facsimile
  14. ^ "Rondeaux d'Amour". WikiSource. Archived from the original on 22 August 2024. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  15. ^ "Exile (1917)". Catalog of Feature Films. AFI. Archived from the original on 22 August 2024. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  16. ^ "The Holiday Husband (1920)". BFI. Retrieved 1 January 2021.[dead link]
  17. ^ "Dolf Wyllarde, the author, is a good raconteur". The Minneapolis. 8 June 1904. p. 4. Archived from the original on 23 December 2021. Retrieved 23 December 2021.
  18. ^ "1911 England Census". 1911. Archived from the original on 3 July 2022. Retrieved 3 July 2022 – via Ancestry.
  19. ^ "UK and Ireland Outward Passenger Lists, 1931". July 1931. Retrieved 3 July 2022 – via Ancestry.
  20. ^ "UK and Ireland Outward Passenger Lists, June 1932". 24 June 1932. Retrieved 3 July 2022 – via Ancestry.
  21. ^ "UK and Ireland Outward Passenger Lists, July 1933". 7 July 1933. Archived from the original on 3 July 2022. Retrieved 3 July 2022 – via Ancestry.
  22. ^ "Dorothy Margarette Selby Lowndes in the England & Wales, National Probate Calendar". National Probate Calendar. Archived from the original on 22 August 2024. Retrieved 2 July 2022 – via Ancestry.
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